Project Nevaria
by Lemurian-Girl
Summary: Sequel to Rediscovery. Chap seven: 'And that’s why I want to come clean to you. I have something to confess. Samus, your father wasn’t ' Static erupted over the line, cutting off her revelation.
1. The News

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Disclaimer: I do not Metroid, but all other characters, not affiliated with Metroid that appear in my story are my creations and belong to me.

Author's Note: **DO NOT READ THIS STORY UNLESS YOU HAVE READ REDISCOVERY. With most sequels you can easily pick up the circumstances. This is not the case. If you read this, you will be confused as to who Rista Nevaria is, what connection she holds to Samus, etc. If you read this first, then go back and read Rediscovery, the big mystery will be ruined for you. Please read Rediscovery first. Thank you.

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** She was not really comfortable with the scene. The loud music, flashing lights and crowds dancing so close, that in fifty-four planets of the Borcon galaxy, it was outlawed for indecency. She had no real interest in the men that kept sneaking her looks, yet she kept flickering her blue eyes at them flirtatiously, more so to prove something than to catch their eye. Finally her companion had enough.

"That's it Samus, I regret bringing you here," Rista groaned, taking a sip of her drink. Samus laughed.

"You were the one wanting to spend quality time together," Samus said. Rista rolled her eyes.

"You're tormenting me," Rista accused her, pushing a strand of her brown hair back. "And I have a feeling you're doing it on purpose." Samus traced her finger around the rim of her own glass.

"You think?" She said. "So what, I like tormenting you. It's my new hobby. Quite entertaining."

"You know, when I first met you, again I mean, a few months ago, I couldn't even get you to crack a joke even like that," Rista pointed out.

"So?"

"So I'm a bad influence on you. You are a bounty hunter. You have a reputation to uphold, and I don't want to be the one blamed for tarnishing your record." Rista caught the eye of a handsome auburn haired man across the room, and she smiled at him as she raised her glass to her lips.

"People assumed I have that reputation. I don't talk with many people, so who really knows what I am like." The man began to approached, pushing his way through the crowd.

"Ain't he a cutie," Rista brought him to Samus' attention. Samus sighed.

"Whatever you say."

"You need a man in your life, Samus."

"I do not."

"Do so."

"Hello ladies," The man spoke, his voice smooth. His cinnamon eyes smiled down at them.

"Hello yourself," Rista said, but Samus remained silent, critically studying him, as she did with all strangers.

"Rista Nevaria, I presume," He said. Rista smiled and nodded. When Samus and her paired as a official duo, they agreed it was for the best to keep the name Nevaria, to avoid arousing suspicion.

"How'd you know?" She asked.

"I hear you're a regular here," He said. "My name is Daz. And who is this?" He gestured towards Samus, who only rolled her eyes.

"My partner and roommate. Don't mind her, she can be shy sometimes."

"Oh yes, because I am just so bashful and flustered around strangers," Samus mumbled under her breath. Daz laughed.

"Close friends?" He asked. Rista grinned mischieviously.

"So close, you could say we were like sisters," She glanced over at Samus.

"Except if were sisters, I would probably have killed myself by now," Samus joked sullenly. She felt a vibration in her pocket and slipped out an intercell. The intercell was like a cell phone, only it's range went through forty-two galatic regions. "Aunty's calling. I'll be outside to answer this." She stood and exited the club, leaving Rista alone with Daz. Rista smirked at him.

"Wanna buy me another drink?" She held up her empty glass and shook it lightly, the ice ringing against the walls.

"Depends, how much have you had tonight?" He asked, taking Samus' seat.

"What? Worried about how many drinks you'll have to buy before I'm drunk?" Daz laughed and slid his arm around her. She pushed it off politely.

"Nuh uh. Samus tries to restrict us to one drink each, but now that she's gone, I could slip another in without her knowledge."

"She sounds like fun." Daz commented, signaling a barmaid.

"Haven't seen the good ol' days of parties since I joined her," Rista said. "But we have a different kind of fun. A more exciting kind of fun."

"You're not gay, are you?" Rista burst out laughing.

"No, I can assure you that. We're buisness partners. Strictly that," Rista said. She accepted the clear fluid the barmaid handed her.

"So what exactly do you do?" Daz leaned in expectantly.

"I don't disclose that type of information to strangers." She sipped it cautiously. She knew how to taste foreign substances in the alcohol; so, if this man was trying to drug her, she would discreetly spit it back out in the glass. It seemed fine; so, she swallowed.

"Why I'm hurt," He gave a look of mock dejection. "Don't you trust me."

"Nope," She said bluntly. Daz laughed.

"You are a cute little one," He said. He ruffled her hair like a big brother would, causing her to slap away his hands. She giggled.

"You know, I've killed men for less than that," She told them, knowing he would take it as a joke. Little would he know that it was really actually true.

"Rista, we have to leave," Samus broke up their meeting, a stern, slightly apprehensive look on her face. Rista took the hint and stood up.

"What's wrong?" Her smile faded, and a serious tone was evident in her voice. Samus shook her head with a glance towards Daz.

"Not here." Samus led Rista out of the club, butting their way through the hoards of people. Rista took a deep breath of the cool night air once they were outside, relishing it from the stuffy atmosphere of the club. She hurried to keep up with Samus through the streets of Taras. It was agreed between the two of them always that they never discussed a potential job until they were in the safety of their apartment.

Finally, they reached their building. They spent the elevator ride up in eerie silence, Samus tapping her impatiently. Rista rarely saw Samus this anxious. Once the door dinged open, she rushed out, eager to get in their apartment. Rista followed at a slower pace, curious as to what was going on but not so much that she would make a huge spectacle out of it.

As soon as she shut the door behind her, Samus began telling her what happened.

"Colleen called me," She began.

"I picked that up," Rista said, waltzing over to their couch and flopping down. She laid down, her head at one of the rests. Samus just paced in front of her.

"She heard some interesting news on the Federation Spy Communcation Network," Samus explained.

"Wait, isn't she retired? Why does she still have one?" Rista asked, idly playing with a cushion.

"I'll explain," Samus said, irritated that she had been interupted. "They had a Piritian Message on there, coded of course. Colleen, having been a spy for them, of course is well aquinted with their language and some of their codes. Now, they could have been just Bill's codes, but there is a familiar pattern of codes between all the units. So the Federation was thinking that Colleen could take up one more job just helping them decipher these."

"And?"

"And Colleen diciphered them to the best of her knowledge. She found some disturbing news. Apparently Bill left plans for the ultimate weapon that could defeat me, designed by him." Rista laughed.

"Aww, is Sammy scwared?" She cooed. "Come on, nothing like that should worry you. Especially something made by Bill. It's probably two toothpicks strung together with yarn."

"I'm not worried about anything. It's just…interesting." Samus said softly.

"What is?"

"These plans had a name, Rista," Samus told her.

"Listen, I'm not a physic here. So are you going to tell me?" Samus sighed.

"Rista, it's called Project Nevaria." Rista immediately bolted up, and then she began to laugh.

"Oh come on Samus," She said in a fit of giggles. "He probably gave them before you got involved in the mess and told them to knock me off. Perhaps they thought it would work better on you.

"I'm not so sure about that," Samus said solemnly. "I have a really bad feeling about this Rista. I don't they meant you in the Nevaria Project."

"Then who would it be?" Rista challenged her. Samus looked at her, and she suddenly realized she had never told Rista about this. Then again, should she? Samus was going out a limb here guessing who it was. No, she would save it until she had more proof.

"No one," She stood. "I think I'll go to bed now." Rista nodded.

"Don't mind me if I'm still up," Rista said. "I'll guess I'll try some background on this Nevaria Project to put your little heart at ease. Can't sleep anyways; so, I might as well do something productive."

"Thanks," Samus said.

"Eh, don't bother," Rista pushed it off, standing up as well. "If they want you dead, they probably want me dead, or they will soon anyways." She grinned. "Besides, I wouldn't want to lose you again." She pinched Samus' cheek, who immediately slapped her away- not hard but enough to show her point.

"Don't do that." It was hard to remain serious around Rista's antics sometimes, even if they were as immature and degrading as that. Still, Samus was able to keep a stone face. She knew Rista could see through it anyways.

"I'm older. I can do whatever I want," Rista reminded her before disapearing into their computer room. Samus shook her head. She had grown used to this in the last few months. She smiled, secretly so that Rista would not have the satisfaction of seeing it. There was a sort of sibling rivalry that grew between the two.

Samus went into her room, privately hoping her theory was not true.

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Author's Note: YAY! My first chappie of the sequel is finished. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as the last. Review! Review! Review!  



	2. Gordie

Disclaimer: I do not own Metroid. All Original characters in this story are mine.

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"So, any further, intimate details you wish to share with us?" 

"As I've told you Rista, there is nothing more to this case," Colleen's voice said through the phone. "That's all the leads I have at the moment. You and Samus play it easy for a while, all right? Just keep your eyes open, but don't sound the alarm until there's more information available."

"Geez, you sound like Samus," Rista sighed. She switched the phone to her other hand. "So, are you still going to be doing decoding for this case or…?" She let the question hang.

"Sorry Rist. They're actually honoring my retirement, but that's not to say I won't keep my Network System around to sniff out any good details," Colleen said. "Remember, I'm doing this as a favor to you two. I'm putting Rick and Amber in serious danger by accepting this job."

"Isn't it completely confidential?" Rista asked.

"It's supposed to be, but there are always ways to access this information," Colleen explained. "You have to be careful. The Feds went nuts trying to pay me this in cash. Against their policy but bank transfers can be tracked; so, I go for the safer alternative." Rista snorted.

"Don't the banks get a little suspicious about you depositing large amounts at one time?"

"Full of questions aren't you?"

"An inquisitive mind is never a bored one."

"I only do small amount at one time. The rest I store in the safe hidden under a loose board in my apartment. Happy?" Rista smirked, and though she could not see it, Colleen could feel it through the speaker. "Don't get any ideas?"

"Hey, don't you trust me?" Rista's trademark mischievous voice asked.

"Do you really need an answer for that?"

"I got to go. Samus is expecting me to continue my research on the Hamboski Case. You know what to do if you hear anything else. Bye." She hung up and leaned her head back. The Hamboski case was easy. Rista's prior connections gave her access to a large source of criminal activity. Her adoptive father was Darryl Strummins, the most sought after hit man in the vast network of villains and mobsters.

Still, gaining control of her knowledge was harder than it would seem. Darryl would probably consider a traitor, for merely breathing near Samus. With a sigh, Rista reflected upon her options. Darryl was not a man to reckon with. Gordie probably already shared with him about how Rista had gone on a mission with a, _gasp,_ bounty hunter. Rista had not communicated with Gordie since then. Perhaps she should connect lines with him once more.

The phone, still warm from her chat with Colleen, beckoned to her, yet there was a foreboding feeling that accompanied it. Rista knew she had to face Darryl and sooner would be better than later, when he had his gun to her head.

"Hello, Bingen Trife Ship Port," A cheery operator greeted. "How may I direct your call?" Rista sighed.

"Is Gordan Trife available," She tried. She was not quite ready to face up to the big man yet.

"Who may I say is calling?"

"Rista Nevaria," She told her.

"Please hold." Some cheesy music drifted in over the line, and Rista waited impatiently, tapping her foot to the beat. It was several minutes before a gruff, thickly accented voice came on.

"Should I bet on Carmellita or Popsicle?" Gordie asked, without even a hello. Rista grinned. It was the traditional question for whether or not the conversation should be shifted to a more private line, lest the one he was currently using was being tapped.

"Just to be safe, Carmellita," Rista replied, beginning to pick at the fraying ends of her shirt. There was click.

"Ya still there?"

"Yep."

"Still hangin' out wit that hunter scum?" Gordie asked. Rista winced. It was inevitable. Her reputation had been tarnished. Not that she minded much, but one of the last people she counted as family would treat her this way.

"Long story," Rista answered, trying to give as vague a response as possible. "Listen Gordie, does Darryl know that I was on a mission with Samus?"

"Nah." Rista breathed a sigh of relief, which made Gordie chuckle. "Lemme guess, you's scared of his r'action? Heh, when he gets mad, who knaws what gonna happen."

"No, I just felt I should tell him myself. There have a few changes in the circumstances, Gordie. I need to speak to him to…get ahold of some information." Rista tried her best to explain what was going on without really disclosing the truth to him. The result was the awkward bunch of words she had chosen. Gordie sniffed.

"You ain't tellin' meh, are ya." It was more of a statement than a question. Rista didn't respond. "Listen, I ain't heard from the big man for…well, for two years now. You 'member the little incident on Bolvin? Yah, well, he's ain't had nuthin' to do wit me since."

"I haven't talked to him in a year and a half," Rista thought aloud. "Thanks Gordie. Just, if you hear from him, tell him to contact me…you know, the old way."

"Gotcha."

"Thanks." The line disconnected, and Rista threw the phone aside. Truth be told, she was just a little afraid of Darryl. She loved him, but at the same time, he terrified her with all his threats and weapon waving. Not an exactly warm environment for a teenager to grow up through. He was a dangerous man; it didn't take a genius to realize that. If Darryl took the news the wrong way then…well, there was no guarantee what would happen. Samus would protect Rista, and Rista was pretty confident that Samus could take out Darryl. Still, she did not want to see him dead either.

Rista stared at the clock. Samus was busy filing overdue paper work with the Federation. Usually Rista would take care of it, but she had convinced Samus that she could do so much more at home with her computer, looking up the Hamboski Trio. She had found out a ton of things; so, it was not a complete waste.

Rista found herself yearning for when Samus would return. She felt scared and alone for the first time in a long time. She couldn't get Samus involved with this; she wouldn't. As she had done before, she would give her life before risking the life of her sister. She did promise to protect her after all.

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Author's Note: Short chappy this time, and it's not my best either. Still, I feel comfortable with it. There will be chapters like this in the future, probably, centering around either Rista or Samus. Well, remember to review! Bye for now!  



	3. Thomas

Disclaimer: I do not own Metroid, but all original characters belong to me.

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It wasn't until late at night when Samus returned to their apartment. Getting through the Federation paperwork was excruciating, to say the least, and she had been stopped many times to discuss different rumors and theories for the Hamboski case. She let herself into the apartment, and the first thing she noticed was a post-it in the kitchen. 

_Left to get some grub. My research is on the computer desk if you want to check it out. Shouldn't be out too late._

_Rista_

Samus scrunched it into a ball and let the thin piece of paper fall to the floor. She was not hungry. Her interest was immediately attracted to whatever details Rista had sniffed up. She found the stack of papers exactly where Rista left it. It consisted of only a few sheets, but Rista had a knack for picking out the most important points of interest. All the other fluff was left alone.

Samus settled herself onto the couch and began reading it, slowly in order to absorb every bit of it. She was roughly halfway through it when Rista barged through the door.

"You here?" She called out, the familiar thump of her bag on the floor accenting her arrival.

"Yeah," Samus answered. She stood to greet Rista, who looked excited for some reason. "What's going on?" Rista threw her a small paper bag. As Samus poked through it, Rista began to tell her the news.

"I had the strangest encounter at the bakery," She said as Samus pulled out a croissant. As if on cue, her stomach began to rumble, and she peeled off a bit of the flaky crust and savored it in her mouth. "I was paying, and I was out of cash, so I had to use my card. Well, this man accidentally bumps into me, and I dropped it. So, being a gentleman, he picks it up for me, and he can't help but to read my name off it."

"Did he know you?" Samus asked. Rista shook her head.

"Not me, but he went crazy. Apparently, he knew a Rista Nevaria, an old crazy hag. Ring a bell?"

"Our crazy spinster Great Aunt that Mom and Ream loved to reminisce about?" Samus guessed, taking another bite of the croissant.

"Yep," Rista agreed. "He finally collected himself and apologized for the incident. Left the bakery mumbling about going insane or something."

"What did he look like?" Samus asked. This intrigued her. If he was indeed talking about their Great Aunt, then he had a connection to the Nevaria family, and perhaps he could prove useful in the hunt for details about Project Nevaria.

"Tall, pale skin, neat brown hair," Rista listed them off. "I can't determine his age. He was obviously old, but he had aged so gracefully that it was hard to tell. I didn't recognize him."

"And we all know what a great memory you have," Samus stated. It was a compliment to Rista, and she took it as such. She was proud of the fact that she could still recall vivid memories from when she was five. "Did he look like he was around here?"

"No, but he was well-dressed. If he was a tourist, he was a rich one. My guess is that he's staying at the Gremock's." The Gremock's was the only quality hotel on Taras.

"I think I'll pay him a visit," Samus announced.

"Tonight?"

"He might be gone by morning."

"Good point. Keep in contact, alright?"

-----

She spotted the man in the lobby, idly talking with one of the bellboys. Why he would want to do such a thing was beyond Samus. The bellboy was a teenager, probably doing it for extra cash for the summer. He had an odd, phased out look on his face as the man lectured him.

Cautiously, Samus approached him.

"Excuse me, are you-" She said it in her best, charitable voice, but the man almost instantly cut her off.

"Thomas Miller? Yes I am. You must be Melinda." Melinda…well, at least she'd be Melinda for the next few minutes. So Samus just nodded. "I didn't expect you tonight, but that's probably for the best, since there's been an emergency at home and I'd like to be back early tomorrow."

"Can I talk to you privately for a second?" Samus asked. She hoped she had the right man, but he matched Rista's description perfectly.

"Of course. Let's go up to my room." He smiled at the bellboy. "Just remember what I told you son. You can rise up from the darkest abyss and live a happy life." The boy nodded, a strange expression written on his face. As Samus and Thomas sped up the elevator, he tried to talk to her, but she always interjected with a "wait until we reach the room".

"So, what is so urgent and confidential that we can't talk about it in the elevator?" He asked, as if he really was on to Samus. "Care to share Melinda?"

"I'm not Melinda," Samus laid it right out. His face fell.

"Ook, then who are you?" He asked. His hand darted around the hotel bed stand for the remote, a pen or something else to chuck at Samus' head.

"Relax Mr. Miller," Samus said. "You ran into a woman named Rista Nevaria earlier, correct?" Thomas looked nervous.

"If this is about that, I am sincerely sorry for being so rude and I-"

"Were you a friend of the Nevarias on T08 and the Arans on K2L?" Samus inquired. She decided to skip around all the unnecessary chitchat and go straight to the main point. The blood drained out of Thomas' face, and he began to perspire heavily.

"I guess you could say that," He mumbled.

"Do you know anything about Project Nevaria?" The man sighed a breath of relief.

"Never heard of it. Is that all?"

"Not quite." She approached him, trying to read his face. His expression matched that of Rista's when she had been haunted by her past. "Why are you so scared?"

"I had to give up everything to live, and if he finds out, I'm a dead man," He whispered. "My life is on the line. Finally, everything has been going good for me, and I will not have that snatched away from me." He backed away from her against the nightstand, almost knocking the lamp off it. "You're one of his spies aren't you? You're here to kill me at last. Why me? I was his friend. I helped him!"

"He's dead," Samus revealed to him. She had a good feeling he was talking about Bill Werster.

"No, he's not. He only wants me to think that!" Thomas growled. His knuckles turned white as he clutched the edge of the stand. "That way, I'll let down my guard, and he can swoop in and kill me."

"You're a raving lunatic," Samus said. "I don't want to hurt you. I'm just looking for some connections here to help me out a little. Or else I'm a dead woman, and if I'm going to be a dead woman, then I will get very mad, and you don't want that. Do you?" He shook his head, his Adam's apple twitching as he gulped nervously.

"How do you know he's dead?" He asked.

"You said you were a friend of the Arans? Then I suppose the next part of this will be bit of a surprise."

"What is it?" His voice was filled to the brim with anxiety.

"Because I, Samus Aran, personally saw him die." For a second Thomas did not respond. Then, his body crumpled to the ground as he fainted. It was a ruse, to throw her off and maybe to see what she would do to him. There was no way this was Samus Aran.

He simply heard her walk away and close the door behind her. When he finally opened his eyes, he decided that he needed to return to his therapist.

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Author's note: The inspiration for this chappie just struck me. I personally think Thomas is kind of obvious, but I don't think any of you guys will pick up on him. You could always surprise me though. Review! Review! Review! Or I shall not update.  



	4. Darryl

Disclaimer: I do not own Metroid.

Author's Note: Whoo, once I get this chapter out of the way, I can finally introduce some action. This is a very important part though, so keep your eyes open. Without further ado, enjoy!

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"Do you think I'm crazy?" Thomas' question caught Terry off guard. It was three in the morning where she was, and he had rung up. Without even a "hey there" or "hello", he asked this question, quickly and anxiously. She could almost hear him sweat over the phone, the way he got when he was nervous. 

"I was married to you for nine years, of course I think you're crazy," She mumbled into the receiver. "Do you know what time it is he-"

"Seriously." Terry sighed.

"What is this about?"

"I think I am losing my mind," He told her. She rolled her eyes.

"I kind of picked that up," She muttered. With her free hand, she flipped on her bedside light and rubbed her eyes.

"I met a woman today," He finally said after a long pause. "In her mid-thirties maybe. Said her name was Rista Nevaria." This caught Terry's interest. She perked up a little, sitting up a little straighter, as if that would help her hear the news any better. "I ran into her at the bakery. She looked like-well, nevermind," His voice trailed off.

"What is it?" Terry demanded. "Tell me."

"Anyways, later a woman came to my hotel room, and she claimed her name was Samus Aran." Terry stopped breathing for a moment. Thomas had hesitated on the name.

"You're joking," Terry said, quite gravely.

"No, I'm not," He snapped right back.

"It's a coincidence." She said it to confirm it more to herself than her ex-husband.

"That would be one hell of a coincidence then," Thomas said, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, I don't care," Terry snapped. "They're not my problem, and nor are they yours anymore. Forget about it."

"I can't get used to the fact that they just might be alive out there," Thomas retorted. "These are Miranna's and Eric's kids. They were supposed to have died. They were the reason everyone else did. I gave up everything because Bill's plan was supposed to work, then he lied to me, and killed them all! Everyone. I helped him. I'm responsible for all those deaths. The Nevarias and Arans were supposed to be no more. Can you get used the fact that one more thing in our lives has gone so wrong?" There was a pause on the other end.

"I got used to calling you Tommy, didn't I?" She spoke quietly. They both sat there in silence for a few moments. Then Thomas spoke up, changing the subject entirely.

"I'm coming back tomorrow," He said.

"Why? I thought you were there until Thursday."

"I was, but someone broke into your house, and I want to be there for you," He said.

"Tommy, you're not obliged to do that anymore," Terry told him. "I know you still about my well-being, but you have work, and I have an aching suspicion that you are just leaving to get away from these girls."

"No, I was going to leave the second I heard the news," He claimed. "I finished most of my business, anyways. Everyone else can contact me at my office back home. Tell me, is anything missing?"

"The only things I couldn't find were some old photographs from the old days," Terry spoke. "And I just probably misplaced last week when I was cleaning and didn't realize it until now."

"Which ones were they?"

"Just one of Miranna, and there was one of Miranna, Eric and us," She said. "That was all." Thomas clicked his tongue.

"Strange," He drifted off. "You know that Samus girl mentioned a Project Nevaria."

"Should I care?"

"No, but I should." He hung up the phone, leaving Terry alone in the night. She rolled her eyes and clicked it off before turning off her light and slipping back under the covers. She was over all that now. It was all behind her. She wouldn't care, nor should she.

Though she didn't care, something about it still intrigued her.

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Rista stared at it, long and hard. Just a little scrap of white paper with a whole bunch of numbers scribbled on it. She recognized it as the contact code for the Kernomen Underground Hideout, a club of which she was familiar with many of the members. The code only worked on one of their specialized Receiver pads.

Rista was only in possession of an older, low-tech model, but it still was able to resist tracking of any sort in the Galaxy, and it would be ample communication. With a sighed, she retrieved it out of her room. She never told Samus she had one; those in the Kernomen were always villains and always on the run. She had a feeling, though, that Samus would not be too surprised by it should she find out.

Rista switched it, letting the green screen flicker back onto life after so long. It was dusty and slow, but Rista had all the time in the world. She was dreading what she had to do, scared and fearful, apprehensive and anxious. She breathed to calm herself, although it did little good in her current situation.

"Relax," She muttered to herself. "Darryl will take this fine."

On the left hand corner of the screen was a tiny-code bar. Rista picked up the stylus and tapped in the contact code. After what seemed like forever, the code processed successfully, and on the main screen, a few scrawled words popped up.

_Communicating #: _

Rista entered the number that Darryl was hiding under. _5012. _Same as it had always been. Gordie had slipped her the number, and Rista knew that he had gone through a ton of trouble to obtain it. Darryl had long ago ditched the Kernomen, vowing never to return to it again for reasons unknown. It was neither Rista's nor Gordies's first guess at his location, and to find someone that would freely give tell them who and where a Kernomen member was is impossible in their constant world of fear and blackmail.

_Enter Name:_

It was a trick. Always a trick. Rista never used her real name; only her codename.

Kommited2Life 

_**5012:** Rista, it's been a while. _The words danced across the screen, making the butterflies in her stomach centuple. Hands shaking, she tapped in her response.

_**Kommited2Life:** Yep. _She paused. There was no immediate reply from him; so, she added more. _I have some urgent business to discuss with you._

_**5012: **Don't be so formal with me. Come on, tell me what's on your mind._ Rista took the plunge.

_**Kommited2Life: **Remember the sister you always knew I had but I never told you about? _

_**5012: **Yeah. Why?_

_**Kommited2Life: **Turns out she's actually alive and well. _

_**5012: **That's nice. _She knew he was not very enthusiastic about such news, and if he were speaking the words, they would be spoken with complete and utter apathy.

_**Kommited2Life: **Oh yeah, and she's a bounty hunter. _ Rista shut her eyes and cringed. She expected the Receiver pad to blow up in her hands. Instead, Darryl just logged out. He probably took it as a bad joke, but Rista could not be too sure. She set the pad down and took a deep breath.

At least now, if she ran into him with Samus, he couldn't say she never warned him.

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Author's Note: You know the drill. REVIEW OR ELSE I SHALL SEND THE EVIL FURRY MONKIES AFTER YOU! Except the evil furry monkies went on strike. So instead, I shall glare at you. Lemurian-Girl, signing off.  



	5. The Gift

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Disclaimer: I do not own Metroid but all original characters are mine.

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The light hum of the ship had lulled Rista to sleep. Curled up on one of the control seats, she had only intended to rest her eyes. Thankfully, Samus had let her doze off. Rista always marveled at her sisters ability to go hours without any shuteye. A light tapping now accompanied the hum. It penetrated the deep bliss of slumber for Rista, and after a moment, her eyes fluttered open to see Samus standing nearby, tapping a screen on the controls. 

"Mm, are we there yet?" Rista mumbled groggily. Samus nodded. Rista stood and stretched out. There was a crink in her neck, but she ignored it to lean over Samus' shoulder and stare outside. The ship was about to enter orbit; so, Rista sighed and returned to her seat to strap in for the bumpy ride. "I always hate coming to this planet."

"You've been here before?" Samus asked, slipping a nylon strap over her waist.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you haven't," Rista commented. "Insula is a popular hiding place for us scum. The only government-controlled regions are in the Hiemis archipelago. You get lost out in the ocean; your ship fails or your navigation unit screws up, you're dead meat. You can't even get a signal out there, unless you're near one of the few islands. The planet is ninety percent water after all." The ship became to shake as they broke through the orbit.

"I've heard," Samus said, over the din of the ship gearing itself for the impact. "Federation never sends troops on this planet because of the risks. Besides there's apparent threat of permanent radiation polluting the planet."

"Yeah, there's been rumors of different armies testing out nuclear weapons in the ocean," Rista murmured. "Never had any effects on the locals, though; so, I doubt that we should be in any real danger."

"You're not leaving the ship, though," Samus pointed out. "And my suit filters the air."

"Oh, come on. It's so cramped in here. Can't I at least have a breath of fresh air?" Samus just glared at her, and Rista rolled her eyes, muttering something along the lines of "It's not fair. _I'm_ older."

The ship leveled out as it lowered towards the sea. Samus unbuckled her safety straps and checked the life sign readings on the controls. Rista also stood and stared out the window. The sight of an ever-lasting black sea met her eyes; thick, onyx clouds overhead were booming with thunder as a light rain pattered down. She shivered at the sight of it. This planet always gave Rista a cold and lonely feeling.

"The coordinates you picked up, where the Hamboskis might be, are giving off signs of activity," Samus read. "I think we've found our men." Rista nodded as the ship skimmed over the waves. They had entered at the right angle of the planet, and the trip to the hiding place did not take more than a half-hour. Soon, dark bulges, camouflaged against the darkness surrounding them, appeared. It was a small cluster of islands, with no visible trace of life.

Rista rubbed her arms, which were covered in goosebumps. She forgot to mention one little itty-bitty detail to Samus. She knew that the bounty hunter would make too big a deal of it. The thing was, Rista did not uncover this location on her own. Someone sent it to her, and she had no idea who.

---

Samus stepped out into the rain. The droplets splashed against her helmet, but overall, visibility was not too bad. She took slow, cautious steps through the beach of the largest island, her scanner ready to pick up any signs of unusual heat or the slightest movement. There was nothing, and it continued to be nothing as she traveled several yards inland. The island was small, not more than a mile across; so, there was not a lot of area to search.

Finally, she caught a scrap of metal laying the wide open against the white sand. She examined it. A careless mistake left by those who resided here. Out of character for these men. They took such care and precision in disguising their whereabouts. Then, Samus realized something else was amiss. She chided herself for not seeing it sooner, for it was obvious.

There was a huge, gaping hole in the middle of the sand.

She approached it slowly. Her scanners picked up no sign of life yet, or any trace of explosives. With barely a blink of her eye, she jumped into the total oblivion beneath her. When her feet hit the metal grating below, the sound resonated all around her. She charged up her beam, handy in case something went wrong.

The light of the beam illuminated the corridor, spreading an eerie blue light bouncing off the black steel walls. The hall stretched on for a while, twisting and turning every few meters. There was nothing, save for the exhaust pipes spewing out steam. Finally, Samus reached a large metal door, with two letters, "H" and "B", intertwined, the insignia of the infamous Hamboski brothers. She examined it carefully. There seemed to be no way of entering the door. No panels, no identification scanners, just the foreboding door.

Then, without warning, two orange laser beams shot out from the corners of the door. Samus leapt out of the way, but one of the lasers caught her. It barely singed her, but it left an ashen mark on her suit. Ignoring that, she immediately sought out the source of the beams. They grew thicker with every second and were apt at seeking her out. Her scanners picked up no trace of a security system. It must have a cloaking device.

Samus let out a few random shots towards the what seemed to be the source of the beams. Finally, after a few moments, the beams let up, causing tiny explosions.

It did not help the fact that the door was still closed. Samus sighed, and she switched her beam over to missiles. She let loose one aimed at the door. It dented it, and Samus had no choice but to shoot another missile. This one blew through the door. Samus stepped through it, trying to examine her surroundings at the same time.

The room she entered was a mess. Computer terminals were crushed, their screens shattered. Wires laid cut and sparking on the ground. The lights had been blown out, and the only system left intact was the security controls.

"Figures," Samus muttered under her breath.

"Sammy, what's going on," Rista's voice entered her helmet.

"Nothing," She replied. "At least nothing I can see." She pressed a few keys on the security computer. A hologram popped up, a list of checks and detections scrolling in front of Samus. Her intrusion had been recorded as well as- "Seems like someone beat us here."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Rista asked. "All the other hunters gave up months ago on this trio. I mean, we've practically had dibs on them."

"Money is always an incentive, and you have to remember that catching criminals is a race for most hunters," Samus told her. "But I don't think it was another bounty hunter."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"If it was another bounty hunter, they would have destroyed the security system as soon as they arrived. It would be number one on their list. However, whoever came here purposely left it working."

"Strange."

"Yeah. I'm going to explore it some more," She mumbled. "Samus out." She did search the place, thoroughly in fact. It was just ruins, with no clue as to where the trio disappeared to or who had intruded their property. At last, her search turned up a small grating caging a switch. She shot at it, blasting the weak bars away and placed her palm on the round button. She pressed down.

A small hissing noise echoed through the chamber. Samus looked back over her shoulder and saw that a small door had opened on the opposite side. She made her way over to it, and when she neared it, she heard someone breathing, the sound magnified by the chamber.

She looked in. There was a ladder leading up to another door, but this one had a panel that was already shot away. It opened as Samus climbed up the rungs. She hoisted herself in the upper room. There was a dim pink light overhead. With it, Samus was able to make out a small, huddled shadow in the corner. She turned her outer speaker on.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"D-don't hurt me none," The person pleaded. His voice faltered. "Please don't hurt me none."

"Who are you?" She repeated, but he paid her no heed.

"You can't hurt an unarmed man," He said.  
"Prove to me that you are unarmed," Samus stated coolly. The figure fidgeted, fighting against some restraint.

"I kinda can't," He mumbled. "I'm all tied up." Samus approached him with chary. Indeed, someone had bound him tightly with chains. He continued. "Y-you must be that lady he wanted. He told me that he had a message for you."

"Who did?"

"I don't know him," He whimpered. "Came bursting in like it was his business and chased my brothers off. Tied me up like some fool, then destroyed our equipment. Then told me what I got to tell you. But there was suppose to be another."

"Rista," Samus murmured under breath. She took the man by his collar, still unable to make out his features by the light, and dragged him along. She was confident that the other two were long gone. Just to be sure, though, she patted him down for weapons. As he had said, he was unarmed.

---

"So, which one of ya'll is Rista?" He whimpered. The two women had confirmed this was Karl Hamboski, the middle child of the trio, that had been caught.

"Why does it matter?" Rista challenged him.

"Don't get all defensive on me," He said. "That man said I was a gift for Rista."

"A gift?" Samus asked. He nodded, sweat beads rolling down his forehead.

"Yep, said that I was a gift, and that only good little girls get gifts," He relayed. "He said that Rista wasn't being a good little girl, but he would give her a gift anyways because she's his little girl." A strange look crossed Rista's face.

"Darryl…" She breathed.

"Said though that unless Rista came a better girl, he would take back her gift and everything he gave her," Karl continued. Samus stared over at Rista.

"This could become a problem," She commented. Rista nodded in agreement. She turned back to Karl. "Anything else?"

"Well, nothing I was meant to say," Karl mumbled. Rista whipped out her gun and pressed the cold metal to his forehead.

"Anything else, period?" Karl whimpered.

"He said something else, real quiet like," He confessed. "Something else like, Rista should not be hanging out with that maliiv anymore."

"A maliiv?" Rista asked. "Samus is not a mali-"

"It wasn't this missy over here," Karl cut her off. "Said it was a man. Called him Nevy or something. Can't be sure."

"Is that all?" Rista asked, pressing the gun harder against his skull. He nodded quickly and sharply, and Rista removed her gun. "Throw him in the bounty's hold."

"Since when do you tell me what to do on my ship?" Samus said in a light tone. Rista tried to crack a smile, but she couldn't. Samus dragged the man away.

"What is a maliiv?" She asked when she returned. Rista sighed.

"Contrary to belief, even criminals are loyal to someone," Rista began to explain. "Without loyalty, without a support group, it would be hard for them to do anything. Most creatures can't be evil one hundred percent of the time. You just can't survive without love, no matter how cheesy that sounds."

"A maliiv is someone who goes against that. Someone who betrays someone they love, someone they truly care about to save their own necks or for greed. It means no one can trust them. It's a mark you're branded with, at least in most circles."

"I don't think I'll ever fully understand the underground world," Samus commented. "Any idea who this maliiv might be?"

"Nope, but I'm going to find out."

* * *

Author's Note: Finally an update. Another mystery is posed. Personally, I think this one is easy, but that's just me. I want you guys to guess like last time. What are your theories? No reviews means no updates. Lemurian-Girl, signing off.  



	6. PN3083

Disclaimer: I do not own Metroid, but all original characters are mine.

* * *

It buzzed in her pocket a few times before Colleen answered the intercell. She was walking through the mall, Amber at her side, when she flipped open the top and answered it in the usual monotone. 

"Colleen answering," She said, shifting one bag of her purchases. A vaguely familiar voice replied, though she could not quite identify it yet.

"Hey Ms. Aran," A slightly anxious voice tittered. Colleen's brow involuntarily furrowed at the sound of her maiden name. "Remember me?"

"No." He laughed, and it was definitely a man.

"You sound like you cleaned up your act," He commented. "Last time we spoke, you were still getting high off every illegal drug in the galaxy. But married, now? Eurynache, wasn't that the name of that Dick guy or something."

"Rick," She corrected, taking a worried glance over at her niece, hoping she didn't hear his voice leak through the phone. She seemed unaffected as she stopped to pause and stare through a store window. Amber did not know the secrets of her aunt and uncle's rebellious youth. "Who is this?"

"You once gave me a contact," He told her. "Names are meaningless. I no longer go by my old name, and my new name is one you would not recognize."

"I gave lots of contacts to lots of people," Colleen said, a little exasperated by this guessing game. "Can you at least tell me what your old name was?" He laughed again.

"What kind of fool do you take me for?" He asked her. "You never know when someone is listening in. Besides, I never say it anymore. It brings up too many bad memories."

"Whom did I put you in contact with then, and for what job?" Colleen asked.

"His name was Eric, and it was the last mission he ever preformed before he betrayed us." Colleen's breath caught and her heart raced.

"I-impossible," Colleen stuttered. Amber seemed to notice the worried tone and expression of Colleen.

"What's wrong?" She whispered. Colleen shook her head.

"I need to take this call outside, sweetie," She dug through her purse for a few slips of currency and handed them to the confused teenager before walking briskly out of the mall. "What kind of joke is this?"

"None at all," He said. "I want you, though, to help me."

"With what?"

"With carrying on your brother's forgotten duty."

"No."

"Excuse me?" His voice turned cold and icy.

"I said no. I am out of the business. Have been for a long time. I don't want into any mess. I have a family now." There was a pause at the other end. "Listen, I know you won't take no for an answer, but you once had a family, and you lost them. Not to bad people, not to disease…just an idiot who had a little too much to drink. Remember how that felt?"

"How do you know?"

"Eric told me. In one of his letters," She revealed to him. "I don't want to lose my family after I worked so hard to bring it together. Perhaps, when I was younger and stupider I would have agreed."

"Are you calling Eric stupid?"

"I always did consider him an utter moron, even if he was counted as the smarter one in the family."

"Well, your intentions are noble, and I understand them completely. That's the only reason I'm letting you go. Most would use it to their advantage, but I'll be lenient."

"Thank you." There was a click and the dial tone emitted. She shut the phone and sighed. She gave him the contact for that job, and she was the closest person to the now deceased man. It would mean, under the circumstances she once abided by, that she would have to carry on the duties.

The thought scared her.

The mission was dangerous.

The simple idea of it chilled her blood.

If only Samus and Rista knew.

----

"Daz Meyers," The young man stuck out his hand in a friendly manner. The older, stiffer gentleman in front of him accepted it and shook with passively. "Mr. Daemora, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by our projects here."

"That will be for me to decide," He spoke in a deep, heavily accented voice. The roughly humanoid man shuffled forward to peer through the glass windows that looked in on the testing facilities. "I have heard great things about your plant. Let's see if it lives up to the hype."

"People don't like to let go to loved ones," Daz said, joining him as a small door in the opposite room slid open. "That's what we're here for. Bringing them back, for every species from Rchnock to Homo-sapiens to Juma-betora." His guest nodded. His eyes were transfixed on the door as a younger, female member of his species stepped through. Her skin was dark and unblemished, her eyes pale and intelligent. She smiled at the two men in the window and waved.

"Mehei," He breathed as the girl waltzed to them. "My wife shall love her birthday present."

"Not a single scar on your daughter remains. She is precisely how you remembered her before the tragic illness took her life," Daz said. Another door opened, this time connecting the two rooms. Daz swept his hand forward. "Go. See her." The man did not need to be told twice. Daz smiled at the heartwarming reunion before signaling an attendant on the security camera.

When the woman came in, Daz jerked his head towards the pair, and she instantly knew her duties. He left them without another word.

For a man so young, Daz was surprisingly successful. He was the youngest man involved with the Reincarnation project, or at least at it's head. Employees stopped respectfully in the corridors as he passed. Only one of them stopped him.

"Sire Meyers," He said, choosing the company nickname for him. "A few complications have arisen in PN-3083." Daz sighed and paused.

"Always complications with that one," He mumbled to himself. "What's wrong this time."

"Apparently, the customer has shifted," He briefed his boss. "You see, although it was paid in full already, the man has disappeared, and his employers are willing to take his order. In fact, they're offering extra to attain it. There is a will for the man that states that we hand it over to these people, whoever they are, should anything happen to him."

"I knew we shouldn't have taken the case. It's done nothing but cause headaches," Daz groaned. "But what's the problem here. Just change the records to match the new receivers."

"That's not the problem. They put a date on it. They want it by the end of next month." Daz swore violently under his breath.

"I don't know who these people are, but they have to understand, we've never taken on a project like this before. It's new. We need time to work out the bugs."

"We explained that, sir," The man told him. "There was a slight language barrier, but overall, they said that as long as the appearance was right and the voice and personality were matched, that any bugs with the munitions could be overlooked."

"I see. Well, continue on at a fast pace. There's a large sum of money at sake, and we always please our customers."

* * *

Author's Note: You know the drill. You review, I update. I lost electricity for the last week, hence the delay, but I will update sooner this time. Remember, I love it when you guys guess. It really amuses me, to tell the truth. Well, Lemurian-Girl, signing off.  



	7. Warnings

"Apparently, Gerald Hamboski was killed in the attack on their secret base and Jerome left on a small raft, presumably lost at sea," Rista read aloud from the report. "After a month of interrogating this guy, the Feds have closed the case."

"You sound annoyed," Samus noted, picking up the file to read for herself. A low growl emitted from the back of Rista's throat. "We've been paid. We have no reason to be concerned with this case any longer."

"I'm not annoyed," Rista snapped. Samus rolled her eyes in a discreet fashion; Rista had been on edge ever since they found Karl Hamboski. "Well, maybe a little- frustrated is more like it. Darryl is threatening me. He's playing some sort of sick game with me, and I don't like that. Maliiv? I don't hang out with any Maliivs."

"Drop it already. There's been no mention of anything so far," Samus said. "And is a maliiv really that bad?" Rista sighed.

"You wouldn't understand."

"You're right; I don't." Rista paced through the kitchen of their apartment. She pulled and twisted her hair around her finger, tsking under her breath as she tried to figure it all out. Samus watched her for a moment, and then left the room. As she did so, the phone rang. She picked it up.

"Who is this?" She asked. It was the typical greeting she used over the phone, since she could never be sure of whom it was.

"Hey, it's Colleen," The familiar voice spoke. "How's it going?" Perhaps it was just Samus' imagination but her voice quivered slightly. Samus had not spoken to Colleen since before the Hamboski incident, and she could tell that sometime was wrong…no, no. Samus quickly shook it off.

"Everything's fine," She said platonically. She glanced quickly into the kitchen to see Rista still marching in the kitchen. She zipped into her bedroom, the receiver in hand, and shut the door so that her sister would not overhear everything. "Except for one thing." She filled Colleen in on all the events surrounding the capture of Karl and what he had told Rista.

"Do have any idea about this maliiv or can tell me exactly what one is?" Samus asked. "I still don't understand all of it."

"In a way, I'm a maliiv," Colleen said hesitantly. "In fact, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about." This was confusing Samus even more. The logical, intelligent woman was befuddled over everything that was going on. Sometimes, she felt like she was the last to know everything, mainly because everyone else had their dark secrets that were potentially fatal while she just had nice, safe shady secrets.

"What? But wait, you can't be the one…he said it was a man," Samus said, trying to make sense of it but utterly failing.

"I'm not the one he's talking about," Colleen assured her. "I haven't even been officially branded one. I have been in contact with the person that I believe is the maliiv Darryl is speaking about. It's just a hunch really. He goes by an assumed name now; I only know what his old identity is."

"Wait, go back to the part where you are a maliiv and start there," Samus demanded. "None of these keeping secrets is going to help us. Rista is keeping something from me; I know it. You are beating around the bush. We can't put the picture together until we have all the pieces, and so far, most of them are being kept locked into the dark corners of everyone's minds."

"I agree, one hundred percent," Colleen said. "And that's why I want to come clean to you. I have something to confess. Samus, your father wasn't-" Static erupted over the line. Samus held the phone away from her ear. When it stopped, she listened in again, but there was no sound, not even the dial tone. The screen on it showed that it had full battery; so, what was going on?

"Rista," She said as she walked out. "I think the phone line went dead."

"Went dead?" Rista snatched the receiver out of Samus' hand and tried dialing a number. Nothing. She set it down on the kitchen counter and sighed. "It didn't just go dead. Someone is blocking it." Their telephones did not rely on wires anymore; the main reception unit would have to break down in order for the line to be silent. Moreover, with the recent technology, that rarely happened.

The two women rushed outside where the unit was at the base of their tenant. Samus at first believed that the crappy, out-of-date unit just stopped functioning, but she soon changed her mind when she saw the pale, yellow metal container smashed and sparking.

"I knew it," Rista hissed. "Darryl sent someone here as a warning."

"How do you know it was him." Rista glared at Samus.

"Because I do," Rista said slowly, pronouncing every word. "I've seen him do it before. His warnings are subtle and few. This was definitely him. He's been tracking me; oh, I know it. He's-" Samus placed a firm hand on Rista's shoulder. Rista tried to twist away from her grip but to no avail.

"Relax. Geez, you've turned into an obsessive freak over this," Samus said. "Calm down. Panicking is not going to help us." She crossed her arms. "Neither will keeping secrets."

"Excuse me? You think I'm keeping something from you?" Rista sounded incredulous and slightly hurt. Samus shook her head.

"That's…not what I meant," She said. She informed Rista of her conversation with Colleen and how it ended abruptly. Rista bit her lip.

"I see; Colleen is the one the hiding something," Rista said after Samus finished. "I've always suspected it, but I'm the kind of person that believes prying into other people's private affairs is a sin." Samus rolled her eyes, knowing that remark was aimed at her. "But this involves us, and I'd kind of would like to know just how."

They reentered the building and went up the elevator. Hardly a word was spoken between them. They were not needed. Both of them had realized that their ignorance on such a subject was likely deadly.

Rista was the first to reach their door. She pressed the entry button, but it did not slid open. She glanced over at the keypad; the word LOCKED blinked at her in ominous red letters.

"Samus, why did you lock the door," She groaned.

"What do you mean? I didn't lock it. We were only out for a second," Samus defended herself.

"Well, surely you have a key because in order for it to be locked it had-" Rista stopped dead. They exchanged glances, having reached at the same conclusion. Rista said it anyways, just to confirm the fact. "Someone is in there."

---

Roughly translated, the accounts of the confirmation meeting for Project Nevaria were as followed. It took place at the Turin Space Pirate base at three o' clock on the eighth of September. The attendees were General Urik, Elite Commander Queskt and Private Virert, who were reporting a message to his superiors.

"The shipment has arrived, sirs," He announced sharply with a bow. Queskt nodded, and Urik smirked, the hideous smile twisting on his face.

"Very good," Urik drawled. "I say we test our new weapon as soon as possible."

"Let's not get too hasty," Queskt said critically. "This was not Pirate made. We cannot trust it so soon. Let's put it up against some of our new recruits first, just to see the fire power."

"The weapon is not half of it," Urik said. "The beauty of it is what will snare them. If you could call a human beautiful." He chortled to himself.

"Fine, we need someone who would recognize it," Queskt agreed. "Private, find out who is available to confirm the likeness of the Project."

"We already know of one, sir," He said. "His name is Thomas Miller."

* * *

Author's Note: ) Come on, every thing must make sense now…Yeah right. Though I wouldn't be surprised if one of you guessed it. Remember, no reviews means no updates, so review!

Previous disclaimers applies.


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